Red Spider Company is an amateur music and drama group owing its existence to the rekindling of an enthusiasm for dramatics in the cast of the Wren Trust production of the community play ‘Red Spider’. When the professionals had packed up and gone, members of the cast set themselves up as a group that continues to be very proud of its initials – RSC.

Staged in Lewdown in October 1997 and then Bratton Clovelly in February 1998, the play ‘Red Spider’ helped to promote and popularise the work of Sabine Baring-Gould in that part of West Devon where he lived and worked during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The aims of the company are to promote drama in the communities in and around the villages of Bratton Clovelly, Lifton and Lewdown with particular regard to the local cultural heritage and the life and work of Sabine Baring-Gould. The Company is always conscious of the need to help its members develop and polish their skills and to this end holds monthly Club Nights at which we read plays and poetry. Also, in the creation of our productions, we engage performing arts professionals to hold workshops. These have included Tim Laycock, Anthony Richards and Peter Hamilton. The resulting acquisition of skills has helped the Company to tap the innate writing, directing and acting skills of its members. But it is not all serious; we also have a lot of fun and enjoy a variety of social events.